No, I can't seem to post videos in line in the posts anymore..... Here's a link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97932779@N08/25305836665/in/dateposted/
Still can't see it . I often have trouble viewing your videos as they fail to download due to an "unknown error". I'll try in my computer tomorrow in case it's my phone causing the issue (android).
More proofing.....more boring proofing using a young, pretty, quite bouncy Beagle as a distraction. Does ANYONE else have to actually do this? I mean, it's some kind of joke, right? That you have to spend half your life taking these baby steps through proofing.... I just don't believe people do it, or not to the extent that my dog seems needs it. Really. It's ridiculous...everyone else has dogs that get this quicker, right? Because, seriously, you'd have to be mad to spend this amount of time doing this.... Anyway....return proofing against playing with young pretty Beagle...and lefts and rights. My Movie by Julie T, on Flickr
We need to do lots and lots and lots of proofing . I'm pretty sure I could count our proofed exercises on one hand! I am a little guilty of getting 'close enough' and moving on. This has come back to bite me on a few occasions so I am learning that I'll spend the rest of my life proofing with Ella . I think that perhaps some owners are not as dedicated as you and Charlie
mmm......I just don't believe other people really have to do it....or they find an easier way to do it. It's very boring....and difficult to set up! I mean, a co-operative person with a young Beagle didn't just appear. I had to arrange that....it's not easy!
I don't do it, certainly... and that would come to bite me on the bum when put in the situation where there are other dogs around and I needed to have them concentrate on me. I need to start finding willing helpers. I might just offer to take people's dogs on walks over the summer and actually use them for training practice, with J holding the other dog. Now I've had that thought, it's probably not a bad idea! Charlie did wonderfully well. I could tell you were frustrated, though - a bit of the Sgt Major crept in on your "wait"
That was seriously impressive on more than one account as he was steady to the thrown dummy as well. Was that a walker you just came across and was ageeable to help? I really must start some proofing! More difficult with two dogs, the younger one is ball obsessed so is easier. I tend to walk where there are no people or very few, I don't know why people don't seem to be walking their dogs so much, I can walk on a common and never see a soul!
This is a persistent fault of mine. It's not frustration, it's because there is a mad, stupid link in my brain that makes my mouth think if I say a cue 'firmly' he is more likely to do it and this happens when I have more than one thing to think about. It's a habit I picked up in the summer of 2014, along with Ah-Ah, when I was training with a traditional spaniel gundog trainer. No, that's Charlie's dog walker with her own dog. I had swapped her taking Charlie for a walk for time helping me with my training.
Charlie is so not steady! If I tried the same exercise round the corner in a different place, I'd have to start at just a 'wait' and build up....indeed, that's what I was doing today. It's a long old slog....
You can hear the harshness in my tone when I repeat the Wait cue as I throw the dummy. If you compare to my 'fetch' cue, where I have no doubt that Charlie will indeed fetch, I sound much nicer.
I went out really determined to have a good session today. We started off really, really well. He is very sharp here, I think. Perhaps a bit 'on a knife edge' waiting for the fetch cue, but he is also pretty solid in that sit... lefts rights by Julie T, on Flickr Anyway, after this a huge mastiff type dog came up, all stiff. He started growling, and pushing Charlie, grabbing at his neck and sort of half jumping on him - and this was a seriously huge and heavy dog. Charlie was growling back, trying not to turn his back but also trying to leave. I was so scared. I tried to drive the dog away, but it just kept dodging round me - I really felt I should have done better to protect my dog, I should have tried to grab the other dog's collar, I think. The owner came running up, muttering 'sorry, sorry' and failing to get hold of his dog. In the end I screamed at the guy to GET HOLD OF YOU BEEPING DOG! And the guy sort of rugby tackled his dog. Charlie then immediately recalled and we left. But after that, everything we tried to do went wrong, and we had to go right back to the beginning again with just simple sits and waits, couldn't even get a dummy out. So came home feeling a bit down.
Oh, Julie, I'm sorry you had a bad experience. It's not surprising things went downhill after that, although it would have been lovely to finish on a high. Just give your choccy drop a big cuddle this evening, pour yourself a big glass of something nice and by tomorrow, everything will be forgotten.
Thanks, Fiona. @snowbunny - was really down about it. Both the rubbish training session but mainly not being more effective at protecting Charlie. Boo. I'll arrange a nice play date with some lovely dogs for him....don't want him getting nervous again.
I really feel for you Julie, it's so horrid when something like that happens But on the bright side nothing bad really occurred; the big dog was just pushing his weight around and being the schoolyard bully. He didn't hurt Charlie, and you did just fine in getting the guy to grab his dog. No wonder you couldn't manage any training after that! I would be prepared to bet though that you were more shaken up by it than Charlie. Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully all will be fine again.
I absolutely think that's right, yes, @Karen. I was shaking as we walked away...I should have just played games and taken Charlie for a walk. Instead of getting more stressed about my plans not working out! Ah, we live and learn....
Oh poor Charlie and poor you ! I get so scared when that sort of stuff happens. Hopefully Charlie bounces back tomorrow
Oh goodness, what a horrible thing to happen to you both, it's very scary. Hopefully Charlie will non the worse for his experience and will have a lovely day with you tomorrow.
